Time of work

[Jacqueline Cheetham]

Has any one had to take considerable time of work due to KC or a related problem. I only work part time 20 hours a week, and at the moment can't wear my lenses until I am seen in again in Aug. I have just had 2 weeks off. My problems are related to a viral infection which has effected my sight, badly. I know you will all be saying, don't worry about work, your eye sight is more important. Yes, it is, but I can't help but be worried and know I will get the ole wear your glasses comments. I don't think they can 'sack' me for this but who knows. Jacqueline.

[jayuk]

Hi

Well Ill give you my example

I started a new job about 4 months back, a month after starting I saw my Consultant for a graft.....he mentioned they can do it on an emergency short notice basis (ie come in as soon as donor material have been sourced and matched).

Clearly my concerns here were how to deal with the time off after the op...generally people go back to work from 1week to 6 weeks after the operation. I told my Boss of the situation and said that I will not be able to drive post op for a period of upto 3 months (I drive 2 hours each way to work). So I worked exclusively from home for 4 weeks post op......now I understand this may not be possible for all job roles..but in this case my \Company were fantastic!


Prior to this, a few years ago where I have a Permanent Role, I had to take a number of vists to Moorefields for lens fittings which took up nearly 5 hours a go......the company then were also extremely good...and never had issues with this...........I also have to take a number of days off work as my eye was sooo sore and thus I couldnt put a lens in....again they were really good..........

SO it kind of depends on who you work for..and also the size of the company.....if its a small company and costs are more kept under control than they may be inclined to ask you to take unpaid leave?....thats worse case scenerio......OR they will let you have a few weeks off sick.......but then I have also know ppl to be off sick from work for 18 months on depression, etc....clearly thats a different example.

I too had great concerns on not working...or more to the point HOW would I work and what my employer said...........I would discuss with them your issues, and make realistic assumptions on your ETA back..and obviously if you CAN, offer to work from home remotely!....its the technology age!!...we cna do anything!!!!

[Drew Radcliffe]

Hi Jacqueline

I can't work right now because of my KC, so although your still employed some of my experience may well help.

There is loads of help out there to support you depending on whether you need some time out to fix yourself or want to go back to work tommorow.

If you make an appointment with the Benefit specialist at the Citizens Advice Bureau they can guide you through the mire of the benefits system to get you any help you want or need. They are also pretty good on advising how to deal with your employer.

If you have sufficiently bad vision you can get registered Partially Sighted /Blind on a tempory basis and if you do get registered you can unregister youself. Your GP can refer you to a consultant to do this it just paperwork and doesn't take long. There are two benefits of doing this. 1. If you are able to register you will be protected by the Disability Discrimination Act and 2 Certain Benefits are easier to obtain if that would help you.

Access to work (at your Job Centre) may also be able to help get you up and running again if you can attend work but just can't do your job. They can sort things like IT equipment, Training amongst other things.

Drew

[Susan Mason]

Hi Jacqueline

I had a similar situation 12 months ago and I wish I could say that I felt it all went smoothly, although I am sorry to say I can't.

Drew, makes a very sensible suggestion about speaking to a benefits specialist and also maybe speaking to 'Access to Work' or alternatively I have found the Job Retention Team at 'Action for Blind People' very helpful.

Hopefully your employer will be willing to discuss matters in full with you and not make assumtions from what they 'think' is the problem. The old one about putting your glasses on is a greatly misused one, which seems to come up quite a lot.

Having said that, I can appreciate that if you work for a small firm things maybe difficult for them if one of their team is off without warning, not that you have any control over it of course.

Another things to bear in mind is the fact that the law changed for all employers back in October 2004 (I think it was then) so it maybe worth your while checking out your rights.

Hope all goes well with the appointment in August.

Susan

[John Smith]

After they became aware (I made sure of it) of my frequent hospital visits and rejection episodes, our HR dept. decided to send me to the company doctor for his assessment on my condition.

Expecting the doctor to be firmly toeing the company line, I was pleasantly surprised to hear him tell me that his report was bascially going to say that I was coping well under the circumstances, and that he was spelling out my employer's obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act. As far as he was concerned, anyone with advanced KC is 100% covered by the DDA.

Just to demonstrate that you don't have to get a registration before the DDA applies!

[Anne Klepacz]

Jacqueline - just to add that our new leaflet about KC for employers is with the printers and will be available shortly, which should help with the 'why don't you wear your glasses' syndrome. So do e-mail me in a couple of weeks time and I'll be able to post you a copy.
Anne

[Susan Mason]

John

I don't want to poor cold water on your theory about the DDA however, personal experience has told me this is not always the case.

It can depend on the managers involved and also how good the HR function is, if involved as of course it should be.

Susan

[Jacqueline Cheetham]

Thanks for all your responses. I am going to chat with our practice manager tomorrow, more to keep her informed of my problems. As I work in the Doctors Surgery, and in fact My GP is brilliant, she always is, I am hoping they 'may' be more understanding than other employers...

[GarethB]

The other thing to remember about this forum, is that it is quite possible that people visit the forum because they are having problems with KC.

Last year I had three months off, but that was to find why I had sight problems as having grafts in both eyes, I was supposed to be cured. The old cornea the grafts are attached to have decided to let KC progress further so distorting the grafts. This took time to diagnose, then there was a wait for the lenses and then to get used to them as I live some distance from work with no public transport.

Although time off is a possibility, I would like to think it is the exception rather than the rule. My grafts are 18 years old and I have always notified my employers that I have KC or have had KC. They have always been fine about it.

While the employer leaflet is at the printers, the student one is very good at making employers aware of the condition.

Gareth

[John Smith]

It can depend on the managers involved and also how good the HR function is, if involved as of course it should be.

I'm sure that's true. However the basic DDA definition of a disability certainly includes advanced KC. Some managers though need a little more convincing.